“Support is Applying Leverage at the Right Place at the Right Time”
by Krishna Kumar, BTME, MBA, BCC, President – IAC
The ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician, Archimedes, while explaining the principle of leverage said, “Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth.” Millennia later, legendary systems architect and inventor, Buckminster Fuller, exclaimed over the fact that a small trim-tab fixed to a rudder of a ship was capable of steering such an enormous vessel.
Archimedes and Buckminster show us that the application of leverage at the right time and in the right place holds the key to providing the support that leads to transformation? But, it also begs the question, “what is leverage in the context of coaching and how may it be applied?”
As an illustration, let us consider the activity of team coaching where the need for support multiplies as it often a complex process. Conflict within groups is usually due to team members sticking to their positions with the coach having to delicately navigate the situation and encourage conversations that are open and vulnerable.
Taking the approach of the coach acting in a role as a ‘trim tab’ is very powerful while coaching teams. Actively encouraging a non-judgemental approach between team members in conversations, seeking areas for mutual collaboration and discovering a set of shared values and beliefs can all go a long way in providing the leverage that propels the team to greater heights.
At the IAC we have the unique opportunity to work as a global, virtual team and our continued progress is a reflection of actively practising these methods. In September, we plan to honour an individual, Des Walsh, who personifies all these qualities in no small measure. Des, who lives in Australia and has been a part of the IAC Founding team, continues to serve on our Strategy Portfolio and use his social media expertize to support our Communications team.
It was our privilege to present Des Walsh with the IAC Presidents Award on September 4 th, 2017 at the first of this falls Quo Vadis, Coaching? webinars. The Webinar focused on the “Impact and Opportunities for the Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Coaching World.”
As always, I look forward to receiving your thoughts and ideas. Please connect with me at president@certifiedcoach.org .
With appreciation,
Krishna Kumar
